A few question

[rickbrk]

I will be starting my training with Roadmaster here in San Antonio in Nov. Dec. for my CDL. My goal is to drive regionaly or localy I want to get on with HEB, Sygma ect. I know I will need experience so I may need to go OTR for a year to get the experience need for a local job. I have been thinking of driving for a while I've been a welder in south texas for 6 years now and getting tired of it the heat and the Boss man breathing down my neck. I have been getting info off of trucking company web sites that are saying the average starting pay for a new driver is 30,000 to 37,000 dollars. Is this accurate? When your driving OTR what is the average weekly cost of the driver ie food, showers laundry, ect. If I need to drive OTR I have a few companys picked out I would like to get opinions on the three I've chosen, which are Werner, Lisa Transport, and Stevens Transport. Any thought input or insite on these companys would be great.

Thanks

[Big_Dave]

I will be starting my training with Roadmaster here in San Antonio in Nov. Dec. for my CDL. My goal is to drive regionaly or localy I want to get on with HEB, Sygma ect. I know I will need experience so I may need to go OTR for a year to get the experience need for a local job. I have been thinking of driving for a while I've been a welder in south texas for 6 years now and getting tired of it the heat and the Boss man breathing down my neck. I have been getting info off of trucking company web sites that are saying the average starting pay for a new driver is 30,000 to 37,000 dollars. Is this accurate? When your driving OTR what is the average weekly cost of the driver ie food, showers laundry, ect. If I need to drive OTR I have a few companys picked out I would like to get opinions on the three I've chosen, which are Werner, Lisa Transport, and Stevens Transport. Any thought input or insite on these companys would be great.

Thanks
Realistically, you can figure about $120-$150 a week for your living expense on the road.

$30K to $37K seems a bit far fetched for newbie wages unless you happen to fall into a consistantly decent gig. Figure $25K to $30K for the first year or so.

As far as companies to work for, I've heard 'not-so-good' things about Stevens Transport.

Lisa Motor Lines is a subsidiary of FFE (Frozen Food Express). I have no idea if they are good or bad to work for.

About Werner.......I've never worked for them, but I do hold bad feelings towards them because of the way they tried to screw me after one of their trucks backed into mine......so, no comment.

[Uturn2001]

If you live in or near a big city do not automatically discount getting hired on with a local or regional company. There are some that will hire and train new drivers. Ask around and see what you can find.

With the wage increases many companies have implemented, if you play your cards right and really look at the total pay package $30,000 a year to start is not as far fetched as it was just 1 or 2 years ago. $37,000 is on the far end of what a newbie can make though so do not expect it.

Cost of living for an OTR driver:

Showers: Should never or almost never have to pay for one. Truck stops give one free if you buy 50 or 75 gallons of fuel. Shower coupons are usually valid for 3-7 days from the date of purchase and can be redeemed at the same truck stop chain the fuel was bought from.

Laundry. If you must bo laundry on the road then you would only be looking at maybe $5 or so each week.

Food. This all depends on how often you eat in the resteraunt. Figure $10 per meal average to eat out. You can carry food with you in a cooler (the 12v kind are nice so you dont have to wrry about ice) and cut down your expenses here big time.